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TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Front
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rotation
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Front Right
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Front Left
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Open Flat
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Top Handle Up
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Left Side Handle
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Top Rear
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Left Side xPAK DVD
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Battery Right Side
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Insertable Smart Card Reader Right Side xPAK
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Contactless reader
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Finger Print Reader Right Side xPAK
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Stylus Up Close
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Contactless SCR
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Finger Print Reader
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Front
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Left Side SSD
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Right Side Port Cover Closed
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Right Side Port Cover Open
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Rear Closed
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Rear Open
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TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Touchpad Close Up
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop with xPAKs
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop dGPU Left Side DVD
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop dGPU Right Side Closed
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop dGPU Right Side Port Open
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop dGPU Rear Closed
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop dGPU Rear Open
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop dGPU Bottom
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TOUGHBOOK 56

Model:

  • FZ-56
Featured Specs
The Panasonic TOUGHBOOK® 56 continues its tradition of breaking new ground offering unrivaled flexibility in even the most demanding and unpredictable environments. It features six modular areas1, including innovative modular expansion packs (xPAKs) with optical drives, authentication readers, barcode readers, and IO ports—now with new 2.5 Gbps and 10 Gbps options, a rugged industry first. Over a decade of backwards compatibility1 of docks protects customers’ investments while saving time and resources. Equipped with a powerful Intel Series 2 CPU that makes AI tasks a breeze, the TOUGHBOOK 56 is also the first rugged PC with a 8GB dGPU option that can help further boost graphics and AI tasks. It also is the first rugged PC with a 16:10 aspect ratio that is designed for mission-critical workers by fitting more rows of data without the need for scrolling. It features faster DDR5 memory, louder speakers, up to 24 hours of battery life (MobileMark 30), and faster seamless 5G modem option that also supports more wireless carriers.
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Compare TOUGHBOOK vs. other devices.

Our rugged devices are 5x more reliable than other business laptops resulting in fewer repairs, reduced downtime and money saved. Calculate how much TOUGHBOOK can save your business with our TCO calculator.

  • The world’s most modular rugged PC with 6 user-replaceable areas and 5,760 combinations1,2
  • First rugged PC available with a powerful 8GB dGPU for enhanced graphics and AI performance
  • Up to 3 Ethernet ports with speeds up to 10Gbps (industry firsts)
  • Up to 24 hours of battery life
  • Over a decade of vehicle dock compatibility1

Featured Specs

Download the Full Spec Sheet
Model FZ-56
Operating System
Windows® 11 Pro;
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.1
CPU Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 vPro® Processor 235H  
(optional Ultra 7 265H)
Featuring Intel® AI Boost 
Durability Rugged
Display 14” 16:10 WUXGA (opt. 1000 nit gloved touch)
Battery 12 hours (24 with optional 2nd battery) – MobileMark 30
Ports & Expansions Thunderbolt™ 4 USB-C x2, Optional USB-C, USB-A (up to 2), Optional MicroSDXC, HDMI, Optional VGA, Ethernet (up to 3 & up to 10 Gbps), Optional True Serial, Audio In/Out, Dual SIM (4FF, eSIM), Docking Connector1, Optional DVD Drive, Optional Blu-ray Drive
Wireless Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth®, Optional GPS, Optional 5G (Sub6 + C-band)
Weight 4.66 lbs (4.99 lbs Touch model)
Warranty 3-year
Testing 3’ Drop, MIL-STD-810H, IP53

  1. dGPU model is not compatible with docks, has no docking connector, and its RAM, Left & Rear Expansion Areas are not user-replaceable.

  2. Excluding fully rugged

 

Rugged Performance

Backed By Industry-Trusted Testing 
  • 3-Ft Drop Rating

    Rugged Where It Matters

    Built for the environments where most laptops fail.
  • MIL-STD-810H

    MIL-STD-810H Tested

    Validated for durability across drops, vibrations, shock, and temperature extremes.
  • IP53 Compliant

    IP-Rated Protection

    Built to resist dust, moisture, and environmental exposure.
TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Modularity

Innovative Modular Design

The TOUGHBOOK 56 features six user-upgradeable expansion areas including its battery, memory, storage, and three xPAK areas. The xPAKs include a barcode reader, optical drives, second batteries as well as additional I/O including the industry’s first 10Gbps ethernet. This unparalleled customization enables organizations to help futureproof, simplify ordering, shorten lead times, and decrease downtime.

TOUGHBOOK 56 16:10 Display

Industry First 16:10 Aspect Ratio

The new 16:10 aspect ratio (rugged first)2 shows more rows of data at once, reducing scrolling and boosting efficiency. It is protected by Corning® Gorilla® Glass. The redesigned standard display is also now 59% brighter with 45% more resolution, making the TOUGHBOOK 56 built to perform wherever the job takes you.

TOUGHBOOK 40 AI

Powering the Future of AI

The TOUGHBOOK 56 processors have up to 16 CPU cores, 8 GPU cores, and an NPU that is a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) engine. The processors intelligently pick which to use for an AI task depending on the type and complexity. They can perform up to 97 overall peak TOPS, which can be further boosted when equipped with the industry’s first 8GB dGPU that can perform up to 34.5 overall peak TOPS.

TOUGHBOOK 8GB dGPU

First Rugged PC with an 8GB dGPU

The TOUGHBOOK 56 is powered by the industry's first 8GB dGPU for demanding graphics and AI tasks. It has 56 AI Accelerators, can perform up to 34.5 overall peak TOPS, 17 TFLOPS of peak FP32, and features the Radiance Display™ Engine for breathtaking visual clarity and fidelity.  

TOUGHBOOK 56 10Gbps Ethernet

Next-Gen Ethernet Connectivity

With up to three ethernet ports, including a 10 Gbps option (both industry firsts) for faster imaging and file transfers. It also boasts an improved 5G modem (36% faster) as well as Wi-Fi 7 (2.4 times faster) to deliver high performance no matter how you connect.

TB56+5G+Cellular+GIF_v1

Speeds up to 3.5 Gbps

The 5G modem supports 4G (LTE, LTE-A) and 5G (Sub6, C-band) with speeds up to 3.5 Gbps. It seamlessly connects to the best available network without any disruption or intervention by the user. In addition, it supports FirstNet® (band 14), Private Cellular CBRS (band 48), and has dual SIM (physical SIM + eSIM) for maximum flexibility.

TOUGHBOOK 56 Rugged Laptop Security

The Next Level of Security

The TOUGHBOOK 56 is the only rugged laptop that comes standard with OPAL encrypted SSD’s. Also included with every unit is software encryption. Add TOUGHBOOK Total Defense for full end-to-end protection and TOUGHBOOK Guard for supply chain security that detects tampering before the device arrives. The TOUGHBOOK 56 is engineered to safeguard your data from the inside out.

Learn More The Next Level of Security Learn More
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TOUGHBOOK 56 FAQs

  • There are six modular areas. The memory (RAM), storage (SSD) and battery are user-replaceable. The storage drive has a quick-release latch for easy and fast removal. In addition, there are three other expansion areas that can accommodate optical drives, authentication readers as well as additional I/O, batteries and a second storage drive and barcode reader. This high level of customization enables companies and agencies the ability to help futureproof, simplify ordering, shorten lead times and decrease downtime.

  • The expansion areas are the four modular areas on the TOUGHBOOK 56. The expansion packs (or xPAKs for short) are the accessories that fit into one of the three expansion areas.

  • The xPAKs can be purchased as accessories (at purchase or post-purchase) and are user-replaceable.

  • Panasonic designed the xPAKs to be easily inserted and removed. On the TOUGHBOOK 56, most areas just require a screwdriver and a handful of screws, and some areas are even toolless just using a slide lever. But all areas were designed to also be very simple and straightforward and user-replaceable.

  • Yes, Panasonic designed the xPAKs as well as the main SSD so if an IT department wants to, they could be locked down by simply inserting a screw. Panasonic offers a SKU (FZ-VSW551U) with a bag of 14 interchangeable screws (mix of silver and black) that can be used to lock down the various expansion areas as well as replacements for the screws from the keyboard, memory and xPAKs.

  • There are 14 interchangeable screws (mix of silver and black) that can be used to lock down the various expansion areas as well as replacements for the screws from the keyboard, memory and xPAKs.

  • Yes, it is end-user removable and has a quick-release lever for easy detaching. If an IT department wants to, they can purchase an optional locking screw that will secure the SSD and help it prevent from coming loose by accident. A set of 14 screws is included in SKU FZ-VSW551U.

  • Yes, they are end-user removable and have a quick-release lever for easy detaching.

  • A hot-swappable battery lets users swap one of the two batteries (2nd battery is optional) in the unit without needing to shut down or suspend the laptop first. Both batteries are identical and can go in either the left or right battery slot.

  • The TOUGHBOOK 56 Mk3 real-world battery life is longer than the Mk2; however, the Mk3 battery life is now reported using MobileMark 30 instead of MobileMark 25. MobileMark 30 is a newer version of the test standard that utilizes a more aggressive test which results in lower test scores of battery life.

  • There is a barcode trigger button located on the xPAK. In addition, you can assign one of the A1-A4 keys to be a barcode trigger. The default setting for the trigger button is the laser stays on for 8 seconds or until a barcode is scanned. This allows a user to hold a driver’s license and be able to press the trigger button using the same hand for easy one-handed operation.

  • The TOUGHBOOK 56 processors have up to 16 CPU cores, 8 GPU cores and an NPU which is a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) engine. The processors intelligently pick which to use for an AI task depending on the type and complexity. They can perform up to 97 overall peak TOPS, which can be further boosted when equipped with the industry’s first 8GB dGPU that can perform up to 34.5 overall peak TOPS.

  • Actually, a dGPU can improve not just graphics, but AI tasks. The TOUGHBOOK 56 is powered by the industry's first 8GB GDDR6 dGPU – it has 56 AI Accelerators, can perform up to 34.5 overall peak TOPS, 17 TFLOPS of peak FP32 and features the Radiance Display™ Engine for breathtaking visual clarity and fidelity.

  • Yes, but AMD’s version is called ROCm and is open-source (CUDA is proprietary). With ROCm, software program can optimize AI and graphic workloads to run much faster. And AMD has tools to help port CUDA code to ROCm for easy migration. If you need any assistance, please contact your Panasonic or AMD representative.

  • Essential for businesses and agencies, it allows remote management for IT departments and adds security including Intel® Hardware Shield.

  • The TOUGHBOOK 56 utilizes two microphones along with AI noise reduction to improve the accuracy of the speech recognition so it can offer class leading accuracy whether in a quiet room or noisy environment. This is especially critical in real-world environments that have a lot of background noise from sirens, wind, highways, construction, other people talking, etc.

  • The combination of an infrared (IR) webcam on TOUGHBOOK 56 and Windows Hello allows customers to use 3D facial recognition or fingerprint scanning (on units equipped with a fingerprint reader) for user authentication.

  • There is no theoretical maximum. Up to 99 has been tested. Each user will need to set their own account, but multiple users can set up their own account.

  • The TOUGHBOOK 56 has a color-selectable backlit keyboard letting users select from four preset colors as well as define their own custom colors. And the programmable buttons (P4 by default) and keys (A4 by default) toggles between white, red and any two selectable colors to allow the keyboard color be easily changed on the fly. There are 4 keyboard brightness levels plus off. Also standard is an onscreen notification system that displays what the keyboard brightness is.

  • Yes, this can be adjusted in the BIOS under the “Main” tab, then “Backlight Keyboard Settings” (Backlight Timeout). You can choose the timeout (delay) to be up to 1 minute of inactivity before the keyboard backlight is turned off. And you can choose different settings for when the TOUGHBOOK 56 is plugged in versus on battery. By default, it is turned off when the unit is plugged in and 30 seconds when it is on battery. To wake the backlight, simply touch any key or touchpad.

  • Night Mode is Panasonic’s application that can apply a screen effect to reduce night blindness, eye strain and neural stimulation by applying one of 12 screen effects (colors, inversion, grayscale, blue light reduction), keyboard color and brightness. It is triggered either manually, or automatically based on the time of day or the amount of light. Concealed Mode is also a Panasonic application that can dim or turn off the display when a combination of keys is pressed, along with some other settings including turning off the keyboard LEDs and turning off the volume.

  • Just models with the dGPU. It adds up to 0.6” and approximately one pound.

  • Yes, both can read/write. Special read only versions can be requested at time of purchase of a TOUGHBOOK 56 and will require a different SKU.

  • Touch models come with a stylus holder that has a cap on it. If you wish to use a stylus pen and tether, they are both available for purchase. Simply remove the stylus holder cap and slide in the stylus pen and attach the tether.

  • The TOUGHBOOK 56 offers the choice between two different modems. The 4G modem (EM7595) supports LTE, LTE-A and speeds up to 0.5 Gbps. The 5G modem (EM9291) supports 4G (LTE, LTE-A) as well as 5G (Sub6, C-band) and speeds up to 3.5 Gbps – it also adds support for T-Mobile networks. Both modems seamlessly connect to the best available network without any disruption or intervention by the user. And both modems support FirstNet® (band 14), CBRS Private LTE (band 48) and have dual SIM (physical SIM + eSIM) for maximum flexibility.

  • 2 slots for maximum flexibility. One physical NanoSIM (4FF) and one eSIM.

  • These ports can be used for fast 40 Gbps data transfer, connecting to monitors and peripherals, charging cell phones, and even charging the PC itself with Power Delivery.

  • Yes!

  • Local Platform Erase can easily and securely wipe the entire contents of the PC including the OS and partition. Instead of overwriting data which takes more time and SSDs have limited read/writes, Secure Wipe applies a voltage spike to erase contents. Instead of taking minutes or hours, it takes less than one minute. It can be accessed in the BIOS under the Security tab.

  • The difference is in the water rating. IP53 is water spraying at a 60° angle. It simulates light splashing. However, IP65 is water projected by a nozzle, with more force and more water. An IP53 device is not suitable for rain or snow, but an IP65 device is.